


Dancin' Away With My Heart

by dldwrites



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-05 03:50:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4164612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dldwrites/pseuds/dldwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iris and Barry attend senior prom together. The night concludes with sparks of the romantic variety.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dancin' Away With My Heart

Thank God for Barry. 

Iris smiles, watching her best friend from across the table. He'd insisted on taking her to the prom after Eric broke up with her via text message. What an ass. Iris should’ve known better than to place her trust in him. Barry had warned her about guys like Eric. But a girl 's just got to have her bad boy, right? Eric had sauntered into her life with the cutest set of dimples almost two months ago. Four dates later, she’d been completely hooked. 

Now, here she was at the prom with Barry in lieu of Eric’s abrupt departure from their relationship. Her best friend had given up the chance to meet one of his favorite authors to be here. He’d known how much going meant to her before things hit the fan with Eric. He truly was something special. Not to mention, he looked incredibly handsome in his suit. 

“Want to dance?” Barry asks, interrupting her thoughts. 

As usual, the DJ was dropping a slow song following the crowning of the prom queen and king. It would probably be the last of the night. He had managed to get her up out that chair for a few fast songs already. Barry hoped he could do the same for this one. He had made his mission to see to it that she had a good night. To hell with Eric. He had never liked him anyway. For reasons that remained unknown to Iris. 

He watches her, noting her hesitation. She’s staring at the couples make their way to dance floor. Like she needs another reminder of what was. 

“Don’t worry, I get. I wouldn’t want to slow dance if that happened to me either. I just figured you shouldn’t miss out because of what that jerk did,” he says. 

“You always know what to say,” Iris says, taking his hand. He smiles, his green eyes twinkling. 

Once they’re on the dance floor, Barry pulls her in close. Although his lean frame towers over her, Iris is unfazed. She rests her head on his chest, just shy of his heart. She listens to the steady rhythm for a moment, completely at ease. Eric is far from her mind. Barry places his other hand on the small of her back and they begin to sway. 

“When did you get so good at this?” she teases, as the familiar song enters its second verse. 

“It’s all a matter of having the perfect partner,” he says, giving her that charming grin of his.

“So I see you’ve picked up smooth talking as well,” she says. 

“Okay, so there may have been a little Googling involved. I just wanted to ensure that you had the best night ever,” he says, blushing. 

“I’m with you, Barry Allen. That’s more than enough. I mean, how many girls have a best friend that would give up one of their dreams to take her to prom?” she says. Unbeknownst to Barry, however, Iris had asked Joe to go to book signing for him. After the lengths he’d gone to, the least she could do was get him an autograph.

“In all the years I’ve known you Iris West, you’ve always had my back and you continue to stand by me. What makes you think I wouldn’t return the favor? If there’s anything I’m good at besides studying, it’s being your best friend,” Barry says. 

And the guy who’s loved you since we were both children. The one who wants nothing more than to kiss you right here and now. Make you forget that Eric or any of those guys ever existed, he silently adds. 

“I didn’t think it was possible to love you more than I already do. I was wrong,” she says. Her words evoke happiness while inflicting pain. With or without a boyfriend, she would never see him the way he wanted her to. Barry’s heart aches at the thought. 

“I love you too,” he says, hoping against all odds that she’ll come to understand how much. Barry wishes he could spill his heart without the running the risk of ruining everything. But that a fool’s dream. And once he makes that move, he can go never go back. 

“Maybe I’ll find a guy like you one day, Barry. He’ll put me first and respect me. He’ll truly love me.” Iris says, giving him a squeeze. 

“What if you could just have me?” Barry asks, his heart in his eyes. He's decided that tonight courage will overcome fear. 

His question snaps her out of the dream like stupor she’s been in. Iris takes a look around them. No one’s slow dancing anymore. The DJ’s playing an up tempo song. She and Barry are the only ones slow dancing. 

“I don’t want to mess with a good thing, Barry. You know better than anyone that relationships never end well for me. I’m either the one breaking someone’s heart or getting my heart broken. I can’t allow that to happen with you. I won’t,” she says. 

“Iris, please. Those guys weren’t right for you and you know it,” he says. 

“Maybe, but you’re right. You’re so right Barry Allen. You’re also my best friend. That makes things complicated. If it doesn’t work out for us romantically, where do we go from there?” she asks. 

“It will work out. I promise. Just give me a chance,” he says, continuing to throw caution to the wind. It feels good to say the things that he's kept bottled up inside for so long. 

“Let’s go outside. I can’t with all this noise. These people,” she says. He nods, following her out of the hotel. Their high school’s rented its ballroom for the prom. 

“I love you, Iris. I really do. I always have. Since the moment you crossed the playground and sat on the swings beside me. I was ecstatic when I went to school the following week and saw that you were in my class,” Barry says, once they’re outside. 

“Why now, Barry?” she asks. 

“I’ve waited long enough, Iris. I’ve watched you with other guys and I just can’t do that anymore. Not when I feel this way about you,” he answers. 

“There’s no going back you know,” she says. 

“I don’t want to,” Barry says, embracing her. 

She settles into his arms before looking up at him. He’s gazing at her in a way he never has before and for the first time Iris feels the stirring of feelings that are beyond platonic for Barry. Maybe they were always there, just bubbling under the surface. 

And when Barry leans in, she doesn’t resist. Doesn’t protest that it’s too soon, in some ways it’s about time. Their breath mingles in the seconds it take his lips to reach hers. He tastes sweet, like the punch he’s been sipping on throughout the night. Lucky for him, their peers didn’t add what most of them like to call the “secret ingredient.” 

They pull apart slowly, each wanting to savor the moment. 

“That was even better than I imagined,” he says, shunning his confidence for a second and reverting back to the adorably awkward Barry she knows and loves. Her Barry. 

“Good. There’s more where that came from,” she says, giving him another kiss. 

Iris slips her tongue into his mouth and he trembles ever so slightly. She likes having this effect on him. He tastes her smile, basking in this pure bliss. 

“Careful, I don’t want our first time to be in back of the Willow Crest Hotel,” he whispers, breathlessly. 

“Who says you’ll get that far?” Iris grins. 

“Wishful thinking,” he teases, pressing a kiss to her neck.

“You’re such a dork, Barry Allen,” she says. 

“And you love it,” he says. 

“I do,” she says, as their mouths meet again.

**Author's Note:**

> I love reading the Westallen fanfics about Barry and Iris in high school or college. So this was really fun to write. Hope you guys enjoyed it. :)


End file.
